1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to retrieving content using a browser application, and specifically to predictive retrieval and display of webpage content.
2. Description of the Related Art
Because webpages, and in particular images or other objects embedded within the pages, are typically downloaded only in response to a user command to download the webpage for display using a client application, the user may experience a delay between the time the command is issued and the time the page is rendered on the display of the client device. This is particularly inconvenient when the data transfer rate between the server and the client device is slow, or when the files to be downloaded to the client device are large. To improve response time, the client application may load cached data in response to the user's command to download the webpage. The cached data would have been stored at the client device the last time the webpage was accessed. However, while the user may experience reduced response time, the data rendered and displayed to the user may be obsolete, since it may have been updated at the server after it was last accessed by the client device, requiring download of the entire webpage and all associated content afresh. However, this results in a delay detrimental to the user's experience.
In addition, over the course of a user's browsing history using a web browser or similar application, the user may have accessed a large number of pages or resources. The web browser may temporarily store a list of the addresses accessed by the user. When the user wishes to access a resource he or she had previously visited, the list of addresses may be viewed and the appropriate address selected. However, the user may not recall the correct address; even if the user is able to recall a portion of the address, many previously visited resources may have similar addresses, making it difficult for the user to pick out the correct address without some trial and error. It is therefore desirable to provide systems and methods providing improved user experience in browsing, accessing, and identifying resources using a client application such as a web browser.